Kiln.



A 0.4;. WNBORNE.A

KILN.

APPLICATION FILED DEO'. 2,1908.

Patented Apr. 20, 1909:-

2 SHEETB-BHEET 1.

[n1/venian Uni-rin) [Stearns PATENT* oFFioE.

CHARLES A. WinvBoRNE, oFv CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

KILN.

To all whom 'it may concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLES A., WF.N-

' BORNE, a citizen of the United States of America,'and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented cery tainnew and-usefullmprovements in Kil'ns,v

of'which the followino is 'a specification.-

. The main objects o? this invention lareto provider an improved formv of drying `kiln gto provide a kilnv particularly adapted for accelerating the drying of coatinos of goil, aint, varnish, shellac, and kindgrcd substances after they have been applied to arti- -cles of .Wood or other materialsfor the purpose ofvfillingft-he poresor giving an. artificial srface to the articles; to provide a kiln of this class in 'which means are provided-l for .efectually preventing the contamination of the surfaces of the coatings during the period 4of solidication, as by dust, soot, or other impurities'oating inl the air; I.to provide" improved means-*whereby such coatings may be solidified in such manner 'as togive greater stability thereto and greaterca-pacity to resist extraordinary temperatures than such4 lsurfaces have when solidified by'. mere'exposure to the air at ordinary te1nperatures;` vto provide im-V proved apparatus for rapidly drying articles and substances that will not-withstand the application of temperatures much above ordinary temperatures,.as, for instance,l glue,

tobacco, and'ca-ndy.; and to provide an V1mproved form of kilnl which iscapable of varied operation so as to dry a great variety of different -si1l; stances regardless fof whether the drying depends u on the evapl.oi-ation of moisture or fvolati e liquids', lor upon oxidation or other effects of exposure vto the air or a gas o1' vapor. These objects are accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic 'longitudinalv section of a drying kiln embodying this`invention. Fig. 2 is afside elevation of the sarne,partly broken-awav. Fig. 3 illustrates a modified form of the kiln in which the heating coils 7 are .omittedl ,Fig 4 is an end elevation of'amodified form ofsupport suitable for use whenl the articles to be .treated are of such form that'they must be suspended from above. In the form shown in the drawings, 'the -kiln comprises a room or seriesv vof rooms Specification of Letters Patent. Application mea December 2,1908; serial No. 465,612.

Patented April 2o, 1909.

having'walls suitably insulated to prevent the loss of heat, and any openings in .the walls rvare provided with doors o1' closures which are suliiciently tight to'prevent the eiliux or iniuX of air except. when it is desired, as hereinafter explained.

TheI'nain body of the room forms a storage compartment A, within which are placed the articles which are. to lbe treat-ed; Comparatively narrow chambers B are cutolf from. thechamber A by means of vertical partitions l. These partitions upper and lower edgesyare spaced lbrought into the room on cars, and should beso constructed'as to offer as little resistance as possible to the upward flow of air 'through the chamber A.-

extend v throughout the length of the room, but their away. vfrom the ceiling and floor of the room so as -A seriesof heating coils 6 extend across the room at a considerable distance below the ceiling, but at such hei' ht above the support 5 as to provide the esired amount of head room in the storage space below.

There is also a series of heating coils 7 located "immediztely-below the support 5.

TheV coils 6 and 7 extend fromend t-o end of the chamber A, so that the heating effect is uniformly distributedthroughont the entire horizontalarea 'of the chamber A In order to prevent the direct radiation of heat from the coils 6 to the articles in the chamber A, meansyare provided for reiiecl'f. A ing Vthe heatraysxwithout in'terferin `witl1 f the freelow of air.' v complish'ed by means-'of a 'screen SspacedA a This is. prefera ly' ac'- ',100

short '-distance below the' heatingv coils 6 and I formed of a series` o f lparallelA angle bars. 'or

defiectors .so located jwith respect vto each Each 'of the chambers B has a coil-YS.) in its' other as to allow free passage o-air `between y them and'at the same-time prevent the direct,l 19.5v

upper, part. These coils are so varranged as to cool the Lair in lhis (Fig. e).

pper part of the chambers E by ineens o a. suitable cooling meA diuin, es, for insleime, cold 'Water circulated through the coils. When two cooling charnbers B are provided, it is preferred to subdivide the compartment C above 'the coils'G by Ineens 'of uvertieal partition 1'() which extends dovvnfroxn the ceiling to a point nearthe coils 6. A row of air outlets 1l is provided in the side Well of "che room above the cooling` coils 9, to 'permit the escape of heated air at 'thatpoint when desired. These openings 11 are controlled by one or more sliding closures 12. A similar series of openings 13, provided with closures 14, extends along the chamber B immediately below th Drip pans 15 are prolcoils 9. vided for catching any liquid @which condensesand drops from the coils 9. These are inclined and provided with a drain pipe at their lower end controlled by a pet-cock Valves 17 control the flow of cooling' mediumin the coils'9, and valves 18 control the flow pf heating medium in the coils 6 and'? The coils 6 and 7 should be separately controlled, so that either may he" cut out at will or one may he regulated to a different temperature from that of the other, es will hereinafter appear. The coils 9 may' also be separately controlled to permit them to be regulated to relatively different temperatures.

In drying certain substances which con.

tain volatile liquids, these are taken up by the air in its passa-ge, and on account ofthe cooling of the conveying air at the coils 9, they are condensed upon said coils. In eertnin eases Where the drying depends upon oxidation rather than the. extracting of moisture from the subst-ence which is dried', it is desirable to edd moisture to vthe air 'before it enters the air inlet Any suitable ineens may he provided for 'this purpose. In the form shown, a trough l9is provided :in the bottoni of each of the con pertinents B, and there is also pro-vided inclined support 20 throughl which extend Wicks 21 'Which dip into the trough 19 and soak up Water therefrom. These Wicks areV so located es to loe in the path of the air entering the inlet `These troughs and Wicks ma. also be used for adding certain other properties to the air. For instance, a. liquidl oxidizing agent lmoy be 'fed to the wicks and evaporated` by the air und by it conveyed to the articles which are being` dried'.` The effect of y'the Wicks may he4 veiiedhy exposing more'or less of their surface to the nir current. At tiincslwhen no moisture or vapor is being supplied ro `the :Lir by the Wicls,they ina-y be covered yby means of o hinged coveriQQ, operated from the outside by' a. handle 22.

*The outer `Wells of the kiln are preferably made in sections which are hinged "or removable so e to permit of ,ready ecoess to the coils 9, drip 13a-ns 15, and troughs 19, In the forni shown in Fig, 2, thewells 23 are made in the form of aseries o doors Q5! in .the vicinity of the coils' 9. 4A dooi` 3 is also provided et he lower part or" the Walls 23.` The remaining parts of 'said Walls are secured by bolts, as there would seldom be oo casion forfremovingvtheni. The frontend beek of the kiln Vare closed hy doors not shown, which, When openy shoulo prog-ide :in nobtructed passage into 'the d ng; Chmn- The operation of the devioeshwn i follows :w-The .clmmber A is loaded with the"A articles-Which are tohe drieh and the doors' are then tightly' closed. the goods in the chhmber A are of such nature that the drying depends-upon oxidation or other oliemical action, then steam is admitted. io, the

coils 6, but the coils 7 are shut' off Vfronithe source of steam supply. The air around 'the coils 6 will expand and rise. lli/later or other Huid cooling medium admitted'into the coils 9, and the surrounding 'A air is thus cooled, becoming heavier and tending to fell'.

The combined electof the. coils is localisea, circulation in the. dii-eolien of the arrows vin Fig. l. The velocity of the movement. of the air depends upon the-relative cenfipereturesin' the heating and cooling 'coils and upon their respective distances below' the ceiling4 and above the floor of the. room', being course7 due to 'the dierence'in We o columns of air of equzii horizontal ,et oppositev sides of the partitions ttlie bottoms of the chambers comes into Contact with the Wi and takes up moist-ure therefrom, the Wicks in turn drei/ving moisture from the trono-hs capillary attract-ion. The moisture deli ered depends upon the relative dryness o the air ond `the amount of Wick surface exposed.- These Wicks are 4intended 'for usein euses Where it is desired to insure ai certain percentage of nioisiure in the ai so to delay or prevent the evaporation of volaille gfredients of the sul i L: iu ceses Whore cert-ein oxidizing or other agent `to he broughtinto Contact with the sul stances treat-ed. The Wicks also equalize rho inoisture in the air of the lkiln vv ien the character or` distribution of he goods Causes dilerences in "the dryness of the nir et diii'erent parts of the kiln, use., the wicks are .viihdrawn from the nir ymirrentfor covered by the lids i When' vthe air' eniers the il. ily spreads out over the bottom of th s ment D helovvthe chamber A., and through the` chamber n', 1i-gein co imgqn contact ivith'ihe seanicoils;v Where it ogdin' becomes rureiefl. lf the steam in the coils 5 1s kept at a. uniform pressure: :md if'zthe fioW of cooling medium in the coils-9 'is also? l the air When not iny ing substantially at right angles to the sides of the kiln on Which the cooling chambers are located.

- Inasmuch Vas the unequal heating of t-he chambers A by radiation from the heating coils isprevented by the screen 8, it is pos' sible to apply the'hlghest and most. effective temperature-compatible With the chemical or" physical properties of the materials which are being dried, wit-houtdanger of injury to such materials. When drying certain substances, the best results are obtainedif the kiln is gradually cooled to- Award the end of the drying process. This may be accomplished by allowing some of the heated air to pass out of the openings 1 1 and admitting fresh air tothe openings 13 to replace that which passes out at the openings '11. to permit'the replelshing ofthe air from time to time if the nature of the substance being dried is such that the air loses its drying properties. The openings 13 are protected by dust-arresting fabric so as to prevent dust from entering with the air.l The openings 11 and 13 may. be opened periodically o1'y their closures may be adjusted so that a limited amount of air may escape and enter during the continuous operation of the kiln.

lWhen the apparatus is used for evaporatin moisture or volatile liquids from the vsu stanceswhich are'treated, then t-he heating coils 7 are put into service so as to heat the air and increase its evaporative power before it comes into contact with the goods in the compartment A.' The temperature of the coils 7 is regulated to an 'amount whichl the substances can withstand Without injury, and the coils 6 are regulated to supply any desired additional amount Eof heat` to the air after it has passed from the chamber A, so as to insure the desired velocity ot' movement of the air.

'ofalr current may be regulated to 'a desired Thus the vvelocity anfonnt quite independent of the temperature within thev drying compartment A, thus per-j mitting of rapid drying at comparatively low temperatures.

If'a certain kiln is to be used exclusively for the drying of certa-in substances which do ndt In such case omitted or replacedby temporary movable supports for holding the goods above the floor to permit air to circulate beneath. The

form of such supports would be determined by the nature of the articles to be treat-ed,

The openingsll and 13 also serve contain moisture or volatile liquids, the coils 7 will be unnecessary and may be. entirely omitted," as inFig` 3.

the permanent lsupport 5 Would also beance to the free circulation of air around the articles.

Suitable trucks for supporting articles of different character are shown at 26 and 27 in Figs. 3 and 4.

No attempt has been made herein to describe every possible s pecic construction within the-scope of this invent-ion and it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shownl may be changed or omitted without departing from the spirit ,of this invention.

I .claim 1. Arvkiln of the class described, comprising a", drying chamber, a cooling chamber locatedl at one side of said drying chamber and communicating therewith at the top and bottom', heating coilsl ixtending horizontally across said drying chamber at a levelabove the middle of the height ofsaid chamber, and means for cooling the air in said cooling chamber, all being' arranged to cause a' circulation of air upwardly through said drying chamber and returning through said cooling chamber.

2. A kiln of the class described, comprising a drying chamberya cooling chamber 1ocated .at one side of said drying chamber and communicating therewith at` the top and bottom, heating coils extending horizontally across said drying chamber at a, level above the middle of the height of said chamber, and cooling coils located in said cooling chamber, all being arranged to cause acirculaticn of air upwardly through said drying chamber and returning through said cooling chamber.. 3. A kiln of the class described, comprising a drying chamber, means for supporting articles tobe'dried in saiid chamber,.heat ing coils located in. said chamber above the articles on said support, an air passage out-A side `of said chamber, an air outlet connecting said drying chamber with said air passage above said heating coils, an air-,inlet connecting said drying chamber with said air passage below said support, and cooling means adapted to cool the air in said passage and thereby. cause a 'continuous circula-tion of air through 'said dryingchamber. I

4. A kiln of the classfdescribed, comprising a drying chamber, means forA supporting articles lto 'be dried in vsaid chamber, heating coils located in said chamber above the' articles on saidsupport, mean-sinterposed vbetween said heatingcoils and the articles on said support. 4and adapted to prevent the radiation of heat from said coilsto said articles Without interfering- With the circulation .of air, anvair passage outside of said chamber, an 'air outlet connecting said drying chamber with sa-id'air .passage above said heating coilsran` air inlet connecting said drying chamber with'said -air passage beljw. said support, and cooling means adapted to cool the air' injsaid passage and thereby cause a continuous circulation of air through said drying chainber.

5; kiln of the class described, comprising a .drying chainber,=nieans for supporting articles to be dried in said chamber," heating coils locatedin said chamber above the articles on said support, yan air passage outside ,."ofsaid chamber, `an air outlet connectingv said drying-,chamber with, said air passage Vabove said heating coils, an air inlet com Vnecting said drying chamber With said air [passage below said support, `cooling means f adapted to cool the ai in said passage and Y thereby cause a continuons circulation of air through said drying chamber, said drying chamber, air passage and said air inlet and outlet being substantially eri-extensive With ea ch other lengthwise of the kiln.

6; A kiln of the class described, comprising a drying chamber, ineai'is for supporting articles to be dried in said chamber, heating coils located in said chamber above the articles on said support, an air passage outside of s'aid `chamber, an air outlet connecting said 'drying chamber with said air passage above said heating coils, an air inlet connectingvsaid drying chamber with said air pas` zsage belonT f said support, cooling means adapted to cool the air in said passage and `thereby canse a continuous circulation of air through said drying chamber, and means for charging the iair with vapor duringl its passage between saidcoo'ling` means and the inlet lto said drying chamber.

'l'. In a kiln, -the/coinbination-of a storage chamber-,ineens inf said storage chamber for supporting the articleswhich; areto be treated, heating meansv located iii'sa-idcha-inber above said support-ing inea-11s,. a cooling 'cha-niberextending along-one side of said Astorage chamber throughout substantially the entire lengthy thereof, an air Youtlet connectingpsaid cooling chamberwith said stofL age chamberabove-said heating means, an air inlet connecting said coolingchamber with said Vstorage chamber belovs7 said support, means for cooling tbeairin its passage through said cooling chamber.

8. A kiln of the class des,cribedcompris'-r ing a room,V a vertically disposed partition extending from end to endlof said room and vsiibdividing the saine intoI a comparatively wide dryingchamber and a coinparatively narrow cooling chamber, chambers be,- ing in communication with ich other bot-li at the topk and bottom of` s e entire lengt-h of said" chambers, heating 'means in -the` upper bart of said drying j'chainber, cooling means in -the upper part et said cooling chamber, an air outlet-in the Walls of said room located at a point between saidheating and cooling means, and air airl'inlet opening through the Walls ofI said room 'at al point chamber in vcommunication `sif'ith the upper and lower parts oi' said drying chamber, a. support for the articles to be treated in said drying chamber, 'and two sets of heating means located respectively above and below said support, the upper heating means being spaced above said support to provide space below said upper heating means for the articles' to be treateds 10. In a. kiln of the described, the

combination of a drying chamber, a cooling chamber' iii con'iniunication with the upper and lower parts of said drying chamber, a support for the articles to be treated in said drying chamber, two sets of heating ineans located respectively above and below said support, the upper heating ineans being spaced above said support to provide space below said upper heating means for thearticles to be treated, and means for independentlv controlling-the temperature of said two of heating means.

1l. In a. kiln of the class described, the combination. of a drying chamber, a cooling chamber in communication' with the upper and lower parts et said drying chamber, a support :for the articles to be treated in saiddrying chamber, 'two sets of heating means located respectively above and below said support, the upper heating neans being spaced above said support to provide space below vsaid upper heating means for the articles to be treated, and ineans for preventing the radiation or" heat from said upper heating ineens te the articles on said support. i i

l2. In a kiln of the class described, the combination of drying chamber, two sets of beating coils vextc-:nding horizontally across said drying chamber, being spaced apart vertically to provide a storage space betweeiifthein for articles to be treated, and

being spaced away fromthe bottom and top of said chan'iber so as to subdivide the saine into three superimposed compartments, -a cooling chamber having its upper and lower parts communicating respectively with the upper and lower parts oi' said drying chaniber at points respectively above and below said upper and lower heating' coils, and means for separately controlling the ter peratnre oi' said coils. I

13. A kiln of 'the class described, comprising {L -pair of speriniposed compartments, an air inlet communicating with the lower compartment, an air outlet communicating' with the upper compartment, heating means disposedbetween said compartments, being provided",throughout the area of said comand being arranged to cause a' substantially pertinents With spaces for the passagev of air,

evenlyl distiib'ited upward How 'of air through said compartments, v and means adapted to prevent the radiation of heatl from said heating means into yone of said 'compartments without disturbingsuch uniformflow of air.

A kiln of the class described, comprising' a pair of superimposed compartments,

an airinlet communicating With the 'lower .""partments with spaces for' the passage of air,

and bein arrangedto cause a substantially evenly l istributed Aupward flowof air y.Corrtt'rl inh [titers Patent No. 918,62l.. l4

through said compartments, and means .in-

terosed between said heating means and sal air. inlet, being co-extensiv`e with said heatin' means and adapted'to prevent the rmiiatlonl of heatffr'om said heating'means into-the. lower part of said 'lower compart- 'inentfsaid last named'n1eans .having air passages therethrough to dpermit as ubstan- [BEA-11.]

ment i'n "Kil-nsfclerroris occur 'the' printed.specification requiring correction, follows: "On page 4, lines 129, a1:1 d 130 should be transposed;and` page'v 4ifa-line 1.57, 'fthe/ word construction I should read ecwnInnatm` andtht the Said-Letters Patentv -Signedand-sealed thislluthday of May,1

tially between said compartments.

evenly' istributed upward am#1 of 15. In a kiln, the construction of a compartment,v having an vair inlet, an -a1r heating compartment [above said compartment, being (3o-extensive therewit and communicating therewith `throughoutflts extent, means for heating the'air in ysaid heating compartment, and means arranged, between said heating means and dr'yln comfheating means toward said drying compartment, sald last named means having *air passages therethrough to permit a substantially evenly distributed. upward How of air between said compartments.

g at Chlcago, this 30th day o f November 1908.

CHARLES A. W'NBORNE.

' VVitnesses:

' EUGENE A. RU'MMLE'R,

. llAm M. DILLMAN.

rais hereby certied that in Lai-@remuant N0;"'9`18,61, gransed 'Apr '29, 1909;. upon the` application of Charles' Wenborxieof Chicago, Illinois, for au gimp'ov should be read with' these v eorreciztio'lns'-therein that-the sanne may'eonform tothe record i .partment and adapted to intercept su stantially all .of the heat radiated from-said evenlyl distiib'ited upward How 'of air through said compartments, v and means adapted to prevent the radiation of heatl from said heating means into yone of said 'compartments without disturbingsuch uniformflow of air.

A kiln of the class described, comprising' a pair of superimposed compartments,

an airinlet communicating With the 'lower .""partments with spaces for' the passage of air,

and bein arrangedto cause a substantially evenly l istributed Aupward flowof air y.Corrtt'rl inh [titers Patent No. 918,62l.. l4

through said compartments, and means .in-

terosed between said heating means and sal air. inlet, being co-extensiv`e with said heatin' means and adapted'to prevent the rmiiatlonl of heatffr'om said heating'means into-the. lower part of said 'lower compart- 'inentfsaid last named'n1eans .having air passages therethrough to dpermit as ubstan- [BEA-11.]

ment i'n "Kil-nsfclerroris occur 'the' printed.specification requiring correction, follows: "On page 4, lines 129, a1:1 d 130 should be transposed;and` page'v 4ifa-line 1.57, 'fthe/ word construction I should read ecwnInnatm` andtht the Said-Letters Patentv -Signedand-sealed thislluthday of May,1

tially between said compartments.

evenly' istributed upward am#1 of 15. In a kiln, the construction of a compartment,v having an vair inlet, an -a1r heating compartment [above said compartment, being (3o-extensive therewit and communicating therewith `throughoutflts extent, means for heating the'air in ysaid heating compartment, and means arranged, between said heating means and dr'yln comfheating means toward said drying compartment, sald last named means having *air passages therethrough to permit a substantially evenly distributed. upward How of air between said compartments.

g at Chlcago, this 30th day o f November 1908.

CHARLES A. W'NBORNE.

' VVitnesses:

' EUGENE A. RU'MMLE'R,

. llAm M. DILLMAN.

rais hereby certied that in Lai-@remuant N0;"'9`18,61, gransed 'Apr '29, 1909;. upon the` application of Charles' Wenborxieof Chicago, Illinois, for au gimp'ov should be read with' these v eorreciztio'lns'-therein that-the sanne may'eonform tothe record i .partment and adapted to intercept su stantially all .of the heat radiated from-said It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 918,621,1 granted April 20, 1909, upon the application of Charles A. Wenborne, of Chicago, Illinois, for an improvement in Kilns, errors occur in the printed specication requiring eorrec'tjon, as follows: yOn page 4,1ines 129 and 130 should be transposed, and page 5, line27, the word construction should read cmnbinalon; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Gce. l

signed and sealed this 11th day of may, A.' D., 1909.

[sEAL] vE. B. MOORE,

Commissioner of Patents. 

